Top 5 Dysfunctional Pop Culture Families

Top 5 Dysfunctional Pop Culture Families

By Tim Wee

December 18, 2013

It is that time of the year again when family once again becomes the focus of attention!

While we are sure that most of you actually enjoy spending this much cherished festive holidays with your loved ones, there will be some among you who will be dreading every moment spent with your extended family. Never has the act of consuming a delicious turkey been such a pain except when fending off nosy enquiries by inquisitive aunties, uncles and grandparents!

Ever feel like a sitting duck at your family Christmas dinner?

Photos sourced from sg.lifestyleasia.com and hercampus.com

Though we are spared the embarrassment of over-the-top home knitted Christmas sweaters (for once, Singapore’s humid weather saves the day), you can still feel like a total failure as questions regarding your career, love life and future are dished out as often as the phrase “Pass the sauce please”.

Family Christmas dinner can be as embarrassing as this sweater at times

Photo sourced from comicsbeat.com

But it is Christmas after all, and this is the season to be grateful for what you got. Your family might not be perfect or the one you wished for, but they are the one you got. And chances are, they genuinely care enough to pain you with those pesky personal questions.

However should that thought fail to console you as you chug down your glass of soothing eggnog, just be thankful that you don’t have to share an intimate Christmas meal with these five dysfunctional families instead!

Top 5 Dysfunctional Pop Culture Families

The Lannisters from Game of Thrones

Appearances can be deceiving in the case of the regal Lannisters!

Photo sourced from fanpop.com

Despite bearing the regal lion as their House’s insignia, the Lannister family is anything but noble. Armed with the motto, “Hear Me Roar!”, the lords and ladies of Casterly Rock is the ruthless and despicable family in George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel Game of Thrones. Now a successful HBO television series, the Lannisters continue to disgust audiences worldwide with the incestuous romance between siblings Cersei and Jaime. Not to mention the horrifying lengths they will go to just to conceal their secret affair.

Siblings Cersei and Jaime sharing a tender moment and their regal offspring Joffrey!

Photos sourced from fanpop.com and evilbloggerlady.blogspot.sg

Their resulting offspring, Joffrey has also proven to be quite the spoiled brat when thrust into the elevated position of king (we don’t know about you, but ordering the death of an innocent man and violently killing off prostitutes doesn’t seem like kingly behaviour to us). Surprisingly, they aren’t even the black sheep of the Lannister family!

The patriarchal Tywin Lannister looks down upon his impish son Tyrion!

Photos sourced from hablandoenserie.com and fansided.com

That honour falls to the dwarfish figure of Tyrion Lannister. The despised sibling of Cersei and Jaime, this womanising imp compensates for his physical flaws with a sharp cunning mind. However that does little to curry any favour from his patriarchal father Lord Tywin, who blames Tyrion for his wife’s childbirth death. Suddenly Christmas dinner with your family doesn’t sound that bad, does it?

The Grimes from The Walking Dead

Rick; The head of the Grimes family in The Walking Dead

Photo sourced from fanpop.com

Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The statement really hits home in the case of the Grimes family in AMC’s The Walking Dead. Based on the comics of the same name, this thrilling television drama showcases the tale of a post-zombie apocalypse America. Central to the story is the Grimes family, consisting of kick ass couple Rick and Lori. The two of them also have a seven year old, their innocent angel Carl.

As the protagonist and leader of the human survivors, Rick has the daunting task of leading his group through a country ravaged by zombies. Along the way, he is forced to learn that Lori is having an affair with his best friend Shane!

From the hunted to the hunter; Carl Grimes

Photo sourced from portable.tv and comicbook.com

As the series goes on, *SPOILER ALERT* Rick is devastated as Lori dies in childbirth. Carl, who was at his mum’s side when she passed on, was forced to shoot her in the head to prevent her from coming back as a member of the living dead! As a result, Rick slowly descends into madness and is forced to step down from his leadership role. Somehow, we feel that it is much more acceptable to murder the family turkey than sit down in silence with the Grimes.

The Sawyer Family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The Sawyer family will eat you for dinner literally!

Photos sourced from pastemagazine.com and fearnet.com

An oldie, but a goodie. It is true when they say that they don’t make them like they used to. Particularly, when it comes to dysfunctional families. Introduced to the world in the 1974 flick The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this Southern inbred extended family seems to have spawned from hell itself.

Nothing but flesh and bones for Leatherface!

Photos sourced from doctorzombie.blogspot.sg and i-mockery.com

Making furniture from the bones of his victims, the chainsaw wielding Leatherface needs no introduction on what a badass he is. But, that is not all he does to his victims. Leatherface and his family go one step further and cannibalise their victim’s flesh as barbeque and chili. This is one dinner invitation that we will definitely turn down, no matter how many irritating aunts we have to face at Christmas!

The Addams Family

Not your typical next door neighbours, the Addams family!

Photo sourced from timeoutsingapore.com

Created by American cartoonist Charles Addams, the Addams family was created in 1938 as a satire of the ideal American family. Originally published in The New Yorker, the wealthy eccentric family has since been adapted for television, film, video game and even a musical!

Living in what resembles a living house of horrors, the Addams family consists of oddball couple Gomez and Morticia. They are joined by their two children, morose daughter Wednesday as well as mad scientist extraordinaire Pugsley. Not to mention their weird extended family of Uncle Fester (an explosive pyro fiend), Grandmama (a witch), Cousin It (a mumbling ball of fur), Lurch (their Frankenstein-esque butler) and Thing (a severed hand that has a life of its own)!

While the Addams seems harmless enough, we are not too sure if we can handle the sight of a severed hand, Frankenstein, a talking fur ball and explosions all under one roof.

The Simpsons Family & The Griffins from Family Guy

Can you spot the similarities between the Simpsons and Family Guy?

Photos sourced from screenrobot.com and stylefavor.com

Ok, we admit that we had a tough time deciding between the two most iconic animated families of all time. Hence, we decided to present them both since they are pretty much cut from the same familial cloth.

On one hand, we have everyone’s favourite family The Simpsons. Headed by the beer chugging and doughnut loving Homer J Simpson, Springfield’s most beloved family is rounded off by his ever dependable wife Marge, their mischievous son Bart, a smart and soulful daughter Lisa, infant daughter Maggie and old Grampa Simpson. They also have count their loyal dog, Santa Little Helper as part of their lovable family.

The Griffin family; Brian, Lois, Peter, Stewie, Chris and Meg!

Photo sourced from fanpop.com

On the other hand, we have Seth MacFarlane’s most iconic creation Family Guy. Set in the town of Quahog, the Griffin family also follows the same animated dysfunctional family blueprint in the form of parents Peter and Lois. They are joined by their kids, Chris, Meg and the diabolical Stewie. In addition, the Griffins also have a talking dog by the name of Brian who has established himself as one of the forerunners of the series. It is no wonder Brian’s recent death was met with outrage by fans until it was revealed to be all part of a hoax!

Trouble will find them, Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin!

Photos sourced from walldesk.net and convergentdivergent.wordpress.com

While we find both the Simpsons and Griffins lovable on the small screen, we aren’t sure if we have the physical and emotional strength to put up with the crazy antics of either family. Between Homer’s tendency for trouble and Peter’s pea sized brain, we know we would rather listen to our grandparents’ lectures a million times over than live out one of their disastrous escapades!